Is Conversational AI Transforming the Way We Recruit?

Artificial Intelligence (AI), is defined as a method by which machines demonstrate their intelligence by mimicking human-like tasks. Advanced AI in particular has the capability to analyze data and learn from experiences, which eventually guides their decisions. 

Conversational AI, meanwhile, has the potential to transform the way human resource leaders are able to recruit top talent for their company. Although not as powerful as advanced forms of AI, when pre-programmed by human conversation AI has the ability to hold conversations, respond to questions and understand the intent in HR interactions.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of conversational AI during the recruiting process and why most HR professionals believe that it can greatly enhance the hiring process. 

How Can Conversational AI Help With HR Recruitment Processes?

Conversational AI is a great tool because it combines human input and oversight with robotic intelligence to handle rudimentary administrative tasks. When not being asked to write novels or write articles on nuanced subjects, conversational AI can be indetectable from chatting with a human.

The beauty of conversational AI is that it can finish basic but time consuming tasks, allowing HR professionals to open up their schedules and spend more time connecting with employees and candidates. For companies that receive a high volume of applicants for job vacancies, AI can be programmed to detect certain words or phrases from resumes and cover letters to instantly identify which candidates may be qualified for the job. 

As most recruiters know, losing top talent to the competition can be devastating, so responding quickly to a highly qualified applicant is critical in maintaining their interest in the job and snapping them up before they get the chance to accept an alternative offer.

Furthermore, conversational AI can sift through resumes quickly and suggest alternative job openings for applicants that may be underqualified or a better fit for another available position. 

An AI tool can also quickly respond to questions and keep the conversation going as soon as candidates land on the ‘careers page’ of your website, which can increase application rates. If candidates have basic questions, such as whether there is parking available when coming in for an interview, conversational AI in the form of a chatbot can answer that question quickly in real-time before they lose interest and leave the site. 

AI can also be helpful in preventing implicit bias, which can harm your organization’s talent search and goals for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture. 

However, AI limits are not restricted to recruitment. It can also support HR professionals with managing their existing workforce. For example, a very valuable use for AI-based software when it comes to running a workforce is with managing daily accounting tasks. Choosing software that has a variety of features that allow professionals to fully automate the processes of creating invoices, sending payments, and managing payroll will help ensure that employees are paid on time and finances are tracked effectively.

Additionally, AI-based systems can help professionals conduct clear and fair performance reviews for employees, as traditional performance analysis has been shown to be highly biased. 

Can AI Actually Enhance Human Connection?

Most people have already encountered conversational AI in the form of a chatbot at some point in their lives. However, there is some understandable skepticism from many regarding the benefits of incorporating robots within human resources. There are concerns that robots will replace human workers, although this has been shown to mostly be a false fear. 

This concern, for example, was prevalent among marketers and especially copywriters, who saw increasing use of “article spinners” creating auto-generated content. However, the effect of this type of AI only resulted in the need for more human copywriters to proofread the content that was churned out by the machines. 

Can AI Organize, Protect & Manage Employee Data?

With the mundane tasks taken care of, HR professionals can then focus their time on connecting with highly qualified candidates, responding effectively to current employee’s needs, building a positive and impactful workplace culture, and providing the organizational structure a company needs. 

However, candidates send a lot of sensitive and confidential information during the application and hiring process, so HR departments need to ensure that the software they use is coupled with a robust cybersecurity program – which can also be made stronger by using AI. 

Artificial intelligence when applied to cybersecurity can also quickly detect and send alerts when unusual activity occurs or red flags for a data breach have been raised. In theory and application, AI and cybersecurity have proven to be extremely effective when combined due to their ability to work together to quickly verify information and protect large networks of data.

Either way, no matter which way you collect employee data, no method of storing data is one hundred percent safe. HR departments depend on data more than ever before to detect trends, analyze behavior and provide valuable insights.

AI can sift through employee data over the course of several years and predict with high accuracy the turnover rate of a particular position. As the saying goes, proper preparation prevents poor performance, so HR leaders can respond quickly to potential job vacancies when given the gift of foresight. 

AI can also provide recruiters with data to provide unique training programs to employees that can be designed depending on their skill gaps. Instead of a one-size-fits-all training curriculum, HR professionals can focus on individual learning versus broad-based solutions.

Finally, AI proved its usefulness in analyzing human behavior during the coronavirus pandemic when it handled mass amounts of data securely and effectively, making contract tracing easier. AI-powered tools were used to predict the occurrence of the coronavirus, and also track how and where it is most likely to be spread.

Conclusion

In short, in today’s work remote culture conversational AI is transforming the way we recruit by making it easier, less time consuming and practical for HR professionals. Rather than replacing humans with robots, AI will take care of the mundane admin-style tasks, which enables professionals to focus more on the important work that machines can’t handle. 

In this way, AI can help organizations enhance human connection, whether it’s solving customer issues through chatbots or ensuring sensitive data and information is kept safe. By building a workplace culture with core values that embraces elevating their team by shifting their focus onto the big vision rather than wasting energy on paperwork and administrative tasks, companies can gain an edge over the competition and achieve their goals faster.